Clutch for window regulators



Jap. 31, 1939. J. H. ROETHEL `2,145,565

CLUTCH FOB WINDOW REGULATORS Filed July 6, 1936 y vigili INVENTOR. 70617 h'. 7`aee- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 3l, 1939 attacco crimen ron wmnovv anomn'rons .lohn liii. lltoethel, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Ferro Stamping and Manufacturing Gompany, lllietroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application .iuly 6, 1936, Serial No. 89,086

6 Claims.

rllhis invention relates to clutch mechanisms adapted particularly, although not exclusively, for association with the window regulator mechanism for operating a vehicle window.

an object of the invention is to provide a friction clutch mechanism for a window regulator or the like, said mechanism being of simplied construction, relatively economical to manufacture and easy to assemble in production.

A further object of the invention is to provide a window regulator clutch of the type having interconnected driving and driven elements arranged within a casing and a torsion clutch spring interposed between said elements and the casing, and wherein said elements are provided with means effective to maintain the spring in proper position against displacement during assembly and use of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved clutch mechanism in which the parts thereof are so constructed and arranged as to permit the rotation of the driving element about an axis located at an angle to the axis oi rotation of the driven element.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear 'from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part oi this specication.

In said drawing:

Fig. l is an edge view, partly in section, of window regulator mechanism embodying one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the regulator mechanism and clutch mechanism of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. eis a vertical section taken substantially along the line -t of Fig. 2, looking in the direction oil the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a slightly reduced scale, showing the parts of the clutch mechanism of the present invention in disassembled relation.

Eefore explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is noty intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring now particularly to the drawing, I have shown one form of clutch mechanism embodying the present invention which is adapted particularly, although lnot exclusively, for use upon a mounting plate which is supported at an angle to the vertical, so that the operating handle' located on the inner face of the door can be rotated or turned in a verticalplane and thus not engage the inner face of the door.

In the present embodiment of the invention the clutchv and regulator mechanism are shown mounted upon an inclined mounting plate it, one of the regulator mechanism gears or segments being shown at lll and being provided with a swinging regulator arm 38. In the present form, the angular relationship of the regulator mechanism and mounting plate and the inner trim panel 39 are best shown in Fig. 1. The gears ill, one only being shown, are adapted to be driven by means of a pinion l2 mounted upon a fixed short shaft or pin it carried by the offset portion lita of the mounting plate fill, the pinion being formed as a fixed part of the driven member o the clutch mechanism, as hereinafter described. Referring now particularly to the clutch mechanism, such mechanism comprises a cup-like driving member lill having a pair of outturned lugs or tongues (l5. This member is rigidly mounted upon the inner end of a drive shaft it having a square outer end portion il. The inner portion of the drive shaft it is drilled to receive with a press or driving rit a pin M which is provided with a spacer member 439. The pin lil is adapted to receive and support the hub portion 5l of an intermediate clutch member or spider 5t having inturned anged segmental portions 52 between which are located segmental cut-out portions or notches 53. The driving member M is provided in its base with a square cut hole to receive a squared portion of the shank of the drive shaft dit. The parts are locked together by means of a rib ita engaging one face of the driving member and by upsetting or peening the metal of the squared shank at @6b at the other face of the driving member.

The driven member of the clutch mechanism is shown as a whole at 55 and comprises a disklike body portion having inturned lugs or tongues 56 the inner portions of which are reduced in width at 5l, see particularly Fig. 5. The driven member 55 carries the pinion 42 which is secured thereto in any suitable manner, so as to provide,

in effect, an integral unit. The inner face of the driven member 55 is provided with a ball/or semispherical projection 58 which is adapted to fit within a correspondingly shaped socket portion or recess 69 in the outer face of the intermediate clutch member 50 (see particularly Fig. 2).

When the parts are assembled, the outer edges of the lugs or tongues 45 of the drivingmember engage the inner faces of the segmental portions 52 of the intermediate clutch member, with the pin end 48 fitting within the hub 5I and the hub in engagement with the stop or spacer 49. The driven member 55 has its ball-like'portion 58 fitting within the socket 59 of the intermediate member and the lugs or inturned tongues 56, 51 of the driven member engage in the notches 53 and have a slight relative oscillating movement within the notches. The tongues 56, 51 have a similar relatively moving fit in the spaces between the outturned lugs or tongues 45 of the driving member. The clutch mechanism also includes a spiral torsion spring 60 of the expansible and contractible type, the spring having inturned end portions 6l. The entire clutch mechanism with the exception of a portion of the driven member 55 and its supported pinion 42 is housed or located within a clutch housing or casing 62 having an angularly vdisposed marginal flange 63 which is attached to the inner face of the mounting plate 40 and preferably secured thereto by screws or rivets 64. It will be seen in Fig. 2 that the flange 63 is so shaped as to lie iiat against the face of the mounting plate and yet the body portion of the casing or housing 62 is disposed so as to cause the shaft 41 to extend horizontally. A crank handle 65 is adapted to be removably applied to the squared end 41 of the drive shaft.

In the assembly of the clutch elements, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the driving clutch member 44, the driven clutch member 55 and the intermediate clutch member 5D interft and are substantially enclosed within the cup-shaped clutch housing 62. As will be seen, the outturned lugs or tongues 45 engage the inner face of the intermediate member and the inturned lugs or tongues 56, 51 of the driven member 55 are located within the spaces between the lugs 45 with the ball member 58 seated within the socket 59. The segmental lugs or projecting members 45 and 56 of the driving and driven members, respectively, Ahave the same diameter and surrounding the same anid located between the base of the driving member and the inner face of the intermediate member is the spiral torsion spring 60. When assembled this spring is interposed between the parts 45 and 56 and the cylindrical wall of the clutch housing 62. The side edges of the members 45 and 56 are in position to engage, respectively, opposite sides of the inturned ends 6l of the spring, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. After the clutch members 44, 50 and 55, together with the spring 60, have been assembled within the clutch casing, the entire assembly is positioned upon the face of the mounting plate 40 overlying the offset portion 40a thereof. The unit comprising the driven member and the pinion is slipped over the stud or shaft 43 carried by the y mounting plate offset portion 40a, after which the screws or bolts 64 are applied to secure the clutch housing to the mounting plate. With the parts in this position, the tongues or members 51 project through the notches 53 of the intermediate clutch member and extend into the spaces between the tongues 45 of the driving member. When the crank handle 65 is rotated in either direction one of the offset ends Il of the spring will beengaged lby one of the tongues 45 to contract the spring and release it from binding engagement with the clutch casing, at which time the pinion 42 is driven through the engagementY of the tongues 45 and 56. It is impossible for the regulator mechanism to be operated independently of the handle 65 since if an attempt is made to rotate the pinion in either direction an edge of one of the tongue members 56 of the driven element will engage the7 outside of one of the ends 6I' of the spring and expand the spring outwardly against the inner wall of the clutch housing and thus lock the parts against rotation. By reason of the ball and socket connection 58, 59, between the driven and intermediate clutch members, the drive shaft 41 is located in a horizontal plane regardless of the angle of inclination of the mounting plate 40. Hence, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, the driven member 55 may be supported at the desired angle to the driving member 44, in vorder to accommodate the inclination of the mounting plate.

I claim:

1. A clutch mechanism for a window regulator comprising a housing, a driving clutch member, a driven clutch member, a gear operated by said driven clutch member, a torsion clutch sprl-ng interposed between said members and housing, and a ball and socket connection between the driving and driven members to permit said driven member to be positioned for rotation about an axis at an angle to the axis of rotation of said driving member.

2. A clutch mechanism for a window regulator comprising a housing, a driving clutch member, a driven clutch member, a gear operated by said driven clutch member, and a torsion clutch spring interposed between said members and housing and adapted to` be expanded or contracted upon rotative movement of one member or the other, and an articulatable connection between said members to permit operative positioning thereof out of axial alignment.

3. A clutch mechanism comprising a housing, a driving clutch member, a driven clutch member, a gear associated with and operated by said driven clutch member, a spiral torsion spring interposed between the driven clutch member and said housing, and a ball and socket providing a limited universal connection between the driving and driven members to permit said driven member to be positioned for rotation about an axis at an angle to the axis of rotation of said driving member.

4. A clutch mechanism for a window regulator comprising a housing, a driving clutch member, a driven clutch member, a gear operated by said driven clutch member, an intermediate clutch member interposed between and engaging said driving and driven clutch members, a spiral torsion spring interposed between the driven clutch m'ember and the housing, and a ball and socket connection between certain of said clutch members to permit said driven member to be positioned for rotation about an axis disposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of said driving member.

5. A clutch mechanism for a window regulator adapted to be supported upon an inclined mounting plate, comprising a casing, a driving clutch member having a pair of opposed segmental tongues, a driven clutch member having a pair of opposed segmental tongues, a gear mounted upon the outer face of said driven member, en intermediate clutch member interposed between said driving and driven clutch members, friction clutch means interposed between the driven member and casing, and a limited universal joint connection between certain oi said clutch members to permit said driven member to be positioned ior rotation about an anis at an angle to the axis ci rotation of said 15 of said driven member, a handle shaft connected to the driving clutch member, an intermediate clutch member interposed between said driving and driven clutch members, friction clutch means interposed between the members and casing, said intermediate clutch member having a socket formed in its outer iace, and a semi-spherical projection formed on the inner face of said driven clutch member engaging said socket whereby to provide a limited universal connection between the driving and driven members to permit said driven member to be mounted upon said inclined mounting plateior rotation about an axis 1ocated at an angie to the axis of rotation of said driving member.

JOHN EL. RQET 

